Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway (A)

Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway (A)

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Abbreviations

• ABB/BBC Asea-Brown-Boveri AG / Brown, Boveri & Cie
• ACMV Ateliers de constructions mécaniques de Vevey
• O&K Orenstein & Koppel
• R+J Ramseier and Jenzer, Biel.
• SAAS Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron, Geneva.
• SLM Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, Winterthur
• SIG Schweizerische Industriegesellschaft, Neuhausen am Rheinfall
• SWS Schweizerische Wagons- und Aufzügefabrik, Schlieren ZH

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Livery

In 2009 a decision was made to change the livery on all rolling stock except for the Golden Pass Panorama and Golden Pass Classic trains. This was to include the various railways and funiculars marketed under the "Golden Pass" banner and the buses operated by the company. The colour scheme is to be a gold (lower portion) and white (upper portion) with all stock being rebranded "Golden Pass". The new colours will be applied to the stock as it passes through works, although the "Golden Pass" logo will be applied as soon as practicable. The first vehicle to be reliveried, First / Second Composite Coach AB307, appeared in traffic on 27 August 2010.

(Source : Journal de Pays d'Enhaut, 1 October 2009)
(Source : Journal de Pays d'Enhaut, 26 August 2010)

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Passenger Rolling Stock

The passenger carrying rolling stock can be divided into the categories: "Classic", "Panoramic", "Ordinary" and "Saanenland".

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Classic Stock

"Classic" stock are six Pullman type coaches, two from 1914 and four rebuilt in 2004-06 on structures from 1964. Details are as follows:

• Type Ars : Belle Epoque, First Class saloon built in 1914, No. 101. Along with As 102 this normally works as part of the "Chocolate Train" formation.
• Type As: Belle Epoque, First Class saloon with 36 seats, built in 1914, No. 102. This coach served as prototype for the CIWL coaches and also for the rebuilds of 2004-06. Along with Ars 101 this is normally to be found in the "Chocolate Train" formation.
• Type As: Pullman Saloon Car, First Class Nos. 103 and 107. Built in 1964 and rebuilt in 2004/05, Air Conditioned. No. 103 has 36 seats, No. 107 has 38.
• Type Brs : Second Class Pullman "Cave Car" (Buffet), No. 201. Built in 1964 and rebuilt in 2005 with air conditioning and seats for 47 passengers.
• Type Bs: Second Class Pullman Saloon Car, No. 202. Built in 1964 and rebuilt in 2006 with air conditioning and seats for 56 passengers.

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Panoramic stock

"Panoramic" stock is that used on the Golden Pass Panoramic services and includes the observation vehicles used at each end of train when the locomotive is centrally situated. Most "panoramic" coaching stock has been built by the former Biel-based coach work builder Ramseier+Jenzer. All coaches are air conditioned.

These Include:
 

R+J	As 110	As 111	As 112	As 114	Ars 115	Ast 116	Ast 117	As 118	As 119
	1976	1979	1982	1983	now 228	1985	1986	1992	1993
Breda	Arst 151	Arst  152	As 153	As 154
	1993	1993	now 251	now 252
R+J	BDs 220	Brs 221	Bs 222	Bs 223	BDs 224	BDs 225	BDs 226	BDs 227	BDs 228
	1979 (a)	1979	1982	1982	1982	1983	1989	1990	1985/95
Breda	Bs 251	Bs 252
	1993	1993

• Type As: First Class saloon coach, Nos. 110, 111, 112, 114, built 1976-83 and 118-119, built 1992-93. These coaches were originally seated 2+2 but since been changed to 2+1, reducing their seating capacity to 33. Coach No.110 was the last of these coaches to carry the dark blue and cream livery and have the 2+2 seating. It entered Chernex workshops in early May 2008 for rebuilding and returned to service at the end of September.
• Type Ast : First Class Observation Car, Nos. 116 (named Lausanne) and 117 (named Château-d'Oex), built 1985-86. These vehicles have 8 seats in the "Observation Dome", now facing Montreux.
• Type Arst: First Class Observation Car, Nos., 151 and 152, built in 1993 by Breda. With a seating capacity of 27 plus 8 seats within the "Observation Dome", now facing Zweisimmen.
• Type Bs: Second Class saloon, Nos. 251 and 252, built in 1993 by Breda as As 153-154. With a seating capacity of 48.
• These coaches were nearly identical to those delivered to FO and BVZ, now Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB).
• Type Bs : Second Class saloon, Nos. 222, 223, built 1982 and 226, 227 built 1989.
• Type BDs : Second Class saloon with disabled compartment and wheelchair lift, Nos. 220 (a), 224 and 225, built 1979-83, rebuilt 2001-02.
• Type Brs : Second Class buffet, Nos. 221 and 228, built 1979 and 1985 (as Ars 115) and rebuilt 1987/95.

Note (a). BDs No.220 was outshopped from Chernex in late June 2010, following a press demonstration the previous month, as the first vehicle to be fitted on axle-less, dual gauge bogies to be tested in readyness for the through running to Interlaken.

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Ordinary Stock

The "Ordinary" stock is used on all services not operated by the Panoramic and Classic coaches. These are painted in a light blue and cream livery and can be hauled by locomotives or railcars. They also include driving trailers (Voiture pilote). These are:

• Type ABt : Driving Trailer Composite, Nos. 5301 to 5304.
• Withdrawn and rebuilt with new bodies and bogies by R+J / Raility, renumbered 341 to 344 as part of "Saanenland" sets 5001 to 5004 inc. (See Below)
• Type ABDt: Driving Trailer Composite with guards/luggage compartment, No. 3301 (At July 2009 working with 3001 in Engineers Dept. use).
• Type A: First Class saloon, Nos. 105 and 106. (No.A105 was made available for sale in Spring 2010, No.A106 was repainted in "Golden Pass" livery, Spring 2011).
• Type AB: First/Second Composite, Nos. 303 to 308. AB307 became the first vehicle to outshopped in the new gold/white livery in August 2010.
• Type B: Second Class saloon, No. 207, "Marmotte Paradis" (Rochers de Naye) Livery. This coach, along with A105, was made available for sale in Spring 2010.
• Type B: Second Class saloon, No. 208, Painted in a special livery depicting road transport from the stagecoach to the early motor car. Lettered "Saanenland - Enhaut".
• Type B: Second Class saloon, Nos. 203, 209 to 213 and 215 to 218.
• Type B: Second Class saloon, No. 214. Painted in a white livery advertising KPT, the insurers of the MOB.
• Type BD: Second Class saloon with guards/parcels compartment, Nos. 204 to 206
• Type BD: Short, Single Second Class saloon with guards/parcels compartment, Nos.32 and 33.
• Type D: Short length, Guards / Parcels / Cycle vehicle, No. 31

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Saanenland Stock

"Saanenland" stock is specially liveried for work over the Zweissimmen to Lenk line and local services between Zweissimmen and Saanen. The stock works in conjunction with motor vehicles of type Be 4/4, Nos. 5001-4 and these sets are usually worked as fixed formations of Bt-Be 4/4-ABt, the first being ready for traffic in 2004 was 243-5003-343. 244-5004-344 followed in 2006 and 242-5002-342 left Chernex works for traffic on 20 August 2008. The final unit, No. 241 - 5001 - 341 left Chernex on 7 July 2009 and was seen in Zweissimann two days later having worked a service from Montreux. The driving trailers that replaced ABt 5301-04 are:

• Type Bt : Second class driving trailer, Nos. 241 to 244.
• Type ABt: First / Second Composite driving trailer, Nos. 341 to 344.

x43 and x44 were built by Ramseier+Jenzer and fitted with SIG-type bogies, x41 and x42 are built by Raility, the successor company of R+J, and will receive Alstom Centro 1000 bogies with air suspension on delivery.

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway New Stock on Order

On 22 June 2007 the MOB gave details to the press that it had placed orders with Raility of Biel for eight new air-conditioned coaches with large panoramic windows and low-floor access and seating. The coaches will have standard-level seating at the vestibule ends, with a central section of low-floor seating containing the access doors which will assist those with restricted mobility. They will also contain handicapped-accessible toilets. The coaches will be fitted with a new type of bogie "Centro 1000" incorporating air suspension, produced by Alstom. The first of these, number Bs230, was delivered from Chernex works into traffic during mid-May 2010. The livery is all over white with the lettering in gold showing the new "golden pass" symbol and lettered Transgoldenpass. The blue lettering "bls" is also featured. the second of the coaches is expected to be ready for traffic in June 2010. Four of the new coaches will be put between the two halves of ABDe 8/8 4001-4004, forming three-car-EMUs.

The first of these to enter full revenue - earning service did so in mid-December 2010 when 231 and 232 were formed as a regular part of the "Golden Pass Panorama" trains 3118/2119/2128/2131

Source : MOB/Raility press release together with personal observation.

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Variable Gauge Bogies

On 18 May 2010, MOB invited press and officials to demonstrate the first Panoramic coach (BDs 220) fitted with variable gauge bogies to allow through running across the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3/8 in) / 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1/2 in) break-of-gauge. The axle-less bogie was developed by MOB and engineered by Prose of Winterthur. Some components were designed for the Centro 1000 bogie and built by Alstom. Apart from changing the gauge, the bogies also adjust the height of the coaches to suit the different platform heights on the two gauges. MOB announced commercial service with variable gauge trains for 2015.

Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Overview

The Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Track Gauge:           1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3/8 in)
The Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Electrification:          850 V DC Overhead line
The Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Highest Elevation:   1,269 m (4,163 ft)
The Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Maximum Incline:    7.3%
The Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway Rack System:           None

(See our 1st page on the Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway - Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway)